DO YOU NEED A WRITER?

I accept writing assignments. So far I have written more than 70 books including nonfiction and fiction for all levels from preschool through high school. Don't bother looking for me on the behemoth A**n site. Most of my books were commissioned by educational publishers in the US and abroad. Some are for classroom use, others for readers learning English as a second language.  

A  skilled photo researcher, I will locate accompanying art if needed. I can also provide related activities, Q&A, or other back matter or supplemental material. I'm familiar with current standards. I can hit a requested word count and reading level. I meet deadlines. 

I enjoy writing true books. My background as a librarian contributes to my reliable research and fact-checking skills. My specialty is giving each topic a unique focus or twist to engage young readers. Let's face it, there are already books available on most subjects. I take pride in making mine different from the competition. 

My picture books for educational publishers tell a fun or humorous story while illustrating the requested concept or topic in a lighthearted way. At the same time, each child-pleasing story conforms to the publisher's specs. 

I have also published fiction in trade magazines, sometimes on serious subjects. My story "Me and Daddy," published in Cricket, featured a young girl in a homeless shelter; it received the EdPress award for the year's best story in a children's magazine.

• Monthly column in national writers' journal Once Upon a Time, 7 years

• Weekly regional newspaper column reviewing children's books, 5 years

• Contributor to professional journals and adult nonfiction trade books

• Master's thesis published in American Library Association journal Government Publications Review

• Doctoral dissertation received Harlan Teller Award for best English dissertation of the year at NIU

I'm picky about poetry. When I craft a poem—be it fiction or nonfiction, descriptive or narrative, humorous or lyrical—the rhythm and rhyme will be reliable. Given a topic to address, I think about the concept before I begin writing. The poem itself usually tells me what form it wants to take.